Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often misunderstood, yet it’s a mental health issue that deserves more attention and understanding. Last week, I touched on three common aspects of OCD and how they manifest in those who struggle with it. Today, I want to build on that and explore three more cognitive distortions that are common in OCD.
Here are three key cognitive distortions that many people with OCD experience:
1. Significance of Thoughts
A hallmark of OCD is the tendency to assign undue significance to thoughts, especially unwanted or disturbing ones. Those with OCD often believe that having an intrusive thought means there’s something wrong with them, or that it reflects their true character. For example, someone might worry that simply thinking about harming a loved one makes them a bad person—even though these thoughts are intrusive and do not reflect their actual desires.
2. Thought-Action Fusion
Thought-action fusion occurs when someone with OCD believes that having a thought is equivalent to carrying out the action. They might feel that thinking about an event means they are somehow responsible for it. For example, a person might think, “If I imagine pushing someone in front of a train, it’s just as bad as actually doing it.” This distortion often leads to feelings of intense guilt and shame, along with compulsions to neutralize or cancel out the thought in an attempt to avoid these feelings.
3. The Need to Control Thoughts
OCD can also make someone feel that they must control their thoughts, especially the unwanted or intrusive ones. The fear is that failing to control these thoughts could lead to disastrous consequences. For example, a person might worry that if they don’t suppress a thought about harming someone, they might actually harm them. This belief triggers a cycle of trying to control the thoughts, which ironically makes them more persistent and distressing. This is known as the Pink Elephant Paradox: the harder you try not to think about a pink elephant, the stronger and more frequent those thoughts become.
Understanding mental illness and how it manifests is crucial, as it often doesn’t appear the way we expect based on cultural perceptions. Recognizing these signs is the first step toward greater awareness and compassion.
Healing is always possible through the grace of Jesus Christ. Help is available—whether through personal effort or with the guidance of a professional. You are worthy of living a life free from the grip of mental illness.
St. Dymphna, pray for us!
